Little Red Lighthouse Festival
Fort Washington Park in Upper Manhattan was the first public green space that New York Restoration Project (NYRP) Founder Bette Midler targeted for her initial restoration and greening efforts. The Park is also well-known as home to the Little Red Lighthouse, one of New York City's most charming landmarks and treasures. Famously chronicled in Hildegarde H. Swift's classic children's story, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, the site is celebrated every year by a special guest reading during the annual Little Red Lighthouse Festival, co-sponsored by NYRP, the Historic House Trust of New York City and the New York City Parks Department.
Each September, the Little Red Lighthouse Festival not only commemorates this unique and historic setting, but also recognizes NYRP’s beginnings and subsequent successes. A true collaboration among parks organizations and community members, the festival is attended by thousands of families who enjoy playing and picnicking along the park’s pristine shoreline, as well as activities including lighthouse tours, music, arts and crafts, fishing and hayrides. Food vendors are abundant and a number of community organizations provide information and encourage community involvement in many aspects of New York City life – particularly greening and sustainability efforts.
Harlem River Festival
The Harlem River Festival at Swindler Cove Park is hosted annually in September by New York Restoration Project (NYRP) in celebration of National Estuaries Day. The festival also features the Peter Jay Sharp Head of the Harlem Regatta during a day that fosters community access to the Harlem River – emphasizing its revitalization as an environmental and recreational resource.
A favorite among thousands of New York City families, the festival includes a variety of activities that emphasize exploration Swindler Cove’s magnificently restored wetlands, indigenous plant and animal life, freshwater pond and Riley-Levin Children’s Garden – which, in the fall, is bursting with tomatoes, peppers and seasonal vegetables. Other family-oriented events invite attendees to sample local cuisine, enjoy music and learn fascinating ecological and historical details of the Harlem River in this green oasis that sits alongside a concrete jungle.
Head Races, a class of regattas, feature boats racing both against each other and the clock. Races begin near the base of Yankee Stadium and finish at Swindler Cove’s unique, floating Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse. Spectators enjoy spectacular views of Olympic racing shells from the greenway along the Harlem River Drive, recently made more beautiful through the planting of hundreds of cherry trees by NYRP.
Spring Festival
NYRP’s Spring Festival – held annually in May – celebrates all things spring at Fort Tryon Park’s Anne Loftus Playground.
NYRP invites its members and residents from the surrounding Upper Manhattan neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood to celebrate the season with arts and crafts, live music and animals. A variety of community-based organizations and citywide groups join in this fun-filled family day, giving the public an opportunity to learn about and experience – through interactive displays and demonstrations – their largely environmental- and sustainability-oriented work.
Swindler Cove Family Day
In June, NYRP invites families to enjoy a day of fun in nature at Swindler Cove Park. Nestled in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Swindler Cove Park represents the crown jewel of NYRP’s public park projects, encompassing five beautifully reclaimed acres along the Harlem River – including the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse and Riley-Levin Children's Garden. An oasis of native natural habitats, Swindler Cove features an urban forest, the only saltwater marsh on the island of Manhattan’s shoreline and an abundance of wildlife to explore and experience along the Harlem Riverfront.
From a boat launch to a bird-watch walk, people from all over New York City are welcomed to engage in nature in this day-long, free event that celebrates family. NYRP staff and educators lead families in playing games, taking hands-on hikes, painting birdhouses, creating family nature projects, taking family nature portraits, meeting live animals, gardening and learning about ways to be green, together.
Harvest Festival
During the month of October, NYRP’s Target Bronx Community Garden – located in the High Bridge section of the South Bronx, is home to NYRP’s Harvest Festival – an annual celebration of the season’s bounty. The festival is a favorite event, eagerly anticipated throughout the year by both Target Bronx Community Garden members and community residents, alike.
Originally founded in 1982, the Target Bronx Community Garden – formerly known as the Anderson Garden – has long been used by local gardeners to raise tomatoes, corn and pears and harvest apples from the garden’s beloved, mature apple tree. In 2007, NYRP partnered with community members to substantially improve garden amenities and introduce the Harvest Festival. Since then, each year, local families and schoolchildren join in activities and fun to learn what it means to interact with nature through the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. In October 2009, NYRP is preparing to unveil a re-imagined Target Bronx Community Garden – featuring a design by acclaimed landscape designer and television host Sean Conway – which focuses on urban farming and includes a patio, outdoor cooking area, expansive lawn and children’s playing area – perfect for this year’s and future Harvest Festivals and other community events.
Haunted Hike
As Halloween draws near, community residents from the Washington Heights and Inwood sections of Upper Manhattan dare to take a walk on the wild – and urban wildlife side – through the temporarily entranced trails of NYRP’s Swindler Cove Park.
NYRP’s Haunted Hike is an eagerly anticipated event of eerie proportions where, once a year, the organization and its staff create a lively landscape of fun and free opportunities to learn about sustainability and living green – and maybe meet a few greenish ghouls along the way! Whether exploring the enchantment of the park’s fantastical forest or discovering the spectral secrets of the Harlem River shore – NYRP’s Haunted Hike is a frighteningly good time for eco-intrigued spirits of all ages!